Good Reads & Views

The Tale of Hill Top Farm by Susan Wittig Albert
Fiction

What it's about: A different kind of mystery, one involving missing, possibly stolen, things rather than a murder. This cozy mystery, based on real places and the author Beatrix Potter in 1905, features a large cast of village dwellers and their animals, whose talk to each other we can understand, but their owners cannot.

Why you might like it: If you enjoy leisurely-paced stories that describe the landscape lovingly and are up for the whimsey of the talking animals, this is for you.

Visit Kristin’s My Librarian Page

The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan
Fiction

What it’s about: Mrs. Braithwaite was raised to believe herself superior to others and emotions are a sign of weakness. When she is divorced by her philandering husband and toppled from her position as head of the Women’s Voluntary Service, she heads to London to find her estranged daughter at the height of the Blitz. With her on the search is Mr. Norris, Betty’s timid landlord, and together they uncover black marketeers, Nazi sympathizers, double agents and – most importantly – truths about themselves.

Why you might like it: If you enjoy novels about World War II or ordinary people doing extraordinary things, this surprisingly cozy story of suspense is for you.

Visit Kristin’s My Librarian Page

Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans
CD Audiobook Evans, Richard Paul

A Mark Smart thinks he has hit rock bottom when his car dies on a snowy evening in Utah.  He enters a closing coffee shop and finds Marcy Wood.  She gives him a ride home and over the next few weeks, the two swap their life stories which include Mark’s mother’s death and his estrangement from his father and Marcy who was adopted and longs to find her younger sister who was taken by another family. Mark encourages Macy to look for her sister, and with his support, she begins the search.  Mark discovers he wants to marry Macy, but his unresolved family issues give her cause for concern, and she pushes him away, forcing Mark to confront his past before he can face his future.  This book is a charming, sweet and uplifting holiday story.  The author does a wonderful job of narrating the story.